Vein fixator



Oct; 3, 1950 N. P. PLECHAS 2,524,713

vsm FIXATOR Filed Aug. 20, 1949 l'snventor (ittomeg Patented Oct. 3,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEIN FIXA'IOR Nicholas P. Plechas,Compton, Calif.

Application August 20, 1949, Serial No. 111,393

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a vein fixator employed in connection with ahypodermic needle.

The occasional, although common, difficulty met in effecting a properpenetration of and entrance to a vein for obtaining blood specimens orinjecting materials intravenously, may result in excessive pain anddiscomfort to the patient. The primary cause of such difiiculties isthat the vein and the surrounding peri-venous tissue are excessivelymobile, and, while the subcutaneous tissue is readily penetrable, thevein itself, unless exactly approached, eludes the needle point. Becauseof such elusiveness, after penetration of a vein is effected, theperforation may extend through the oppositewall of the vein with theresult that there is failure to canalize. Other causes for suchdifficulties are collapse of the vein walls due to low Venous pressure,and excessive thickening of the walls due to sclerosis or spasm. It isevident then, that by fixing the vein so that the same has little or nomobility, intravenous canalization may be greatly facilitated. Someattempts have been made to accomplish fixation of the vein but suchtechniques involved instruments independent of the needle and, in atleast one instance, entailed additional and separate punctures of theskin resulting in unnecessary pain to the patient.

Recognizing the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a novel vein fixator that is used in combination with aconventional hypodermic needle for eifecting fixation of a vein wherebythe needle may effect proper penetration of the vein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vein fixator thattelescopically engages a hypodermic needle and functions to both guidethe same and to grasp and hold the neri-venous tissue surrounding thevein to hold the vein substantially immobile while penetration thereofis effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method for fixinga vein to hold the same immobile while intravenous canalization iseffected.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, eco nomical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. Howneedle.

ever, the drawings merely show and the following description merelydescribes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by wayof illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the conventional needle of ahypodermic syringe equipped with a vein fixator according to the presentinvention, the latter being shown partly in longitudinal section, thefull line position of the needle being the first position thereof aftersubcutaneous penetration, and the dot-dash line position being thesecond position thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing only the distal portions of the needleand fixator in the third position thereof. a

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged end view of the distal end of the needleand fixator.

The hollow needle 5 is conventionally provided with an end bevel 6 sothat the same has a sharp penetrating point i. In the usual manner, saidneedle, by means of a thimble 8, is afiixed to a syringe preferably ofthe plunger type.

The present fixator comprises a thin-gauged metal shank 9 of suitablyarcuately curved crosssection and adapted to lie in intimate engagementwith the outer surface of the needle 5. Said shank, at one end, isformed from or connects with an enlarged tubular part ID that has anopening 1 I adapted to telescopically pass through said opening to becentered in part ID. The latter serves as means whereby the fixator maybe grasped during assembly of the needle and fixator or separationthereof.

According to the present invention, the opposite end of shank 9 isintegrally provided with a pair of opposed prongs l2 that extend fromeach side of the shank and are oppositely curved to encompass somewhatmore than one-half of the peripheral surface of the adjacent portion ofthe In practice, said prongs, which are resilient, include a curvaturethat is slightly less than the circumferential curvature of the needle.

Accordingly, when the needle is introduced between the prongs, thelatter will be fiexed outwardly but will retain intimate contact withthe outer surface of the needle. The length of shank 9 is soproportioned relative to the length of the needle, that needle point 1extends beyond prongs l2 which thus engage the needle proximate to bevel6. It is preferred that prongs I2 be at a rearward angle from the shanktoward their outer therethrough, the needle being ends, whereby they mayserve as barbs assisting anchoring the fiXator in flesh tissue.

A transversely extending handle I3 is afiixed to tubular part Ill.

For a better understanding of the present device, the drawing shows avein l5, the surrounding peri-venous tissue l6, and the subcutaneoustissue ll beneath the skin surface I8.

In practice, the fixator is assembled into the needle so that point 1 isadjacent the free end of shank 9 and the prongs I2 encompass the needleabove bevel B. This combined device is connected to a syringe, asmentioned. The needle point is then introduced in the usual manner,effecting penetration of surface [8 and subcutaneous tissue l'! andpartial or total penetration of peri-venous tissue l6. Whether point I,at this stage, effects some penetration of vein [5 is immaterial, but,in any case, prongs l2 will reside in the peri-venous tissue as shown inFig. 1.

Now, by holding handle I3, the needle 5 is withdrawn to the positionshown by the dot-dash lines and, therefore, free of prongs l2 which arethus released so they may flex inwardly Slightly. Said prongs now have asufficiently firm grip on the peri-venous tissue.

The syringe and needle are then rotated some 180, more or less, to bringpoint I in substantially opposed relation to shank 9. Now, with theprongs holding tissue It and the latter holding the vein [5substantially immobile, the needle point is penetrated through the veinwall as in Fig. 2. Since the latter movement of the needle is limited bythe re-engagement of thimble 8 and tubular part I'll, the needle pointcannot penetrate too far and assurance is had that the point I isproperly situated. The syringe is now operated either to draw fluid fromthe vein or to introduce fluid.

Since, in the last position, prongs l2 are reengaged with the needle,the latter and the fixator may be simultaneously withdrawn aftercanalization, or the needle may be restored to its initial positionrelative to the fixator before withdrawal. If desired, a slight rotationof both needle and fixator will help facilitate extraction.

Another and perhaps preferred method varies from the one above describedin that after partial retraction and rotation of the needle, the same ismoved away from prongs l2 before being re-projected to pierce the vein.Because both the needle and the shank 9 are flexible, such relativemovement can be readil effected. It will be seen then, that the grip ofthe prongs on the peri-venous tissue is undisturbed while the needlepoint is directed to elfect canalization. After the latter has beenaccomplished, the needle is withdrawn and allowed to resume its alignedrelationship to the fixator. Then the needle is projected to re-engagewith the prongs and withdrawal is effected as before.

While the fixator is shown as abutting thimble 8, such abutment may beeliminated by providing a needle that is longer than the one shown. Inthat event, the fixator is preferably frictionally engaged with thepassage in tubular part In or a, portion of the shank adjacent part l0may be formed to effect such frictional engagement. Thus proportioned,the needle point is enabled to move considerably beyond the fixatorafter the latter has been anchored.

While the present device may be used with conventional syringes, thebest results are obtained when the syringe is of the type that keeps aconstant suction on the passage in the needle.

Thus, immediately upon penetration of the vein wall, a tinge of red willappear in the syringe and apprise that the vein has been entered.

While the fixator is made of relatively thin material to minimizeasperation of the tissue and has little rigidity by itself, the same isrendered rigid when coupled with a needle and, conversely, serves torigidify the needle.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is nowregarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course,subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the inventionto the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but tocover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringeof a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needle and havinggripping prongs engaged with the same adjacent its pointed end.

2. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermicsyringe, said needle having a mounting thimble on the end opposite thepointed end, of a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needleand having an enlarged end portion in end abutment with the needlethimble, said fixator, at the opposite end, being provided with grippingprongs engaged over the needle adjacent the pointed end thereof.

3. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermicsyringe, said needle having a mounting thimble on the end opposite thepointed end, of a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needleand having an enlarged end portion in end abutment with the needlethimble, there being a handle on said enlarged end portion for holdingthe fixator immobile while the needle is being telescopically moved,said fixator, at the opposite end, being provided with gripping prongsengaged over the needle adjacent the pointed end thereof.

4. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with thesharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising apair of prongs normally engaged around the needle adjacent the pointthereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction of the needle, beingadapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissue surrounding a vein tohold the latter substantially immobile while the needle istelescopically projected to pierce the same.

5. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with thesharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising anelongated shank generally coextensive with the length of the needle andprovided with a pair of prongs normally engaged around the needleadjacent the point thereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction ofthe needle, being adapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissuesurrounding a vein to hold the latter substantially immobile while theneedle is telescopically projected to pierce the same.

6. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with thesharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising anelongated shank adapted to extend lengthwise of the needle and inintimate engagement with the outside surface thereof, an enlarged end onsaid shank adapted for telescopic engagement 5 with the needle on theend thereof opposite the sharp end, and a pair of prongs on the oppositeend of the shank and adapted to engage around the needle adjacent thepoint thereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction of the needle,being adapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissue surrounding avein to hold the latter subof the peri-venous tissue to thereby hold thevein substantially immobile, rotating the needle approximately 180", andthen, While the peri-venous tissue is gripped, projecting the needle topierce the vein thus held immobile.

8. The method for effecting intravenous canalization of a vein thatconsists in introducing a hypodermic needle to pierce the subcutaneoustissue to and including the peri-venous tissue sur- 6 rounding a vein,partially retracting the needle and simultaneously internally gripping aportion of the peri-venous tissue to thereby hold the vein substantiallyimmobile, rotating the needle approximately 180, then, while theperi-venous tissue is gripped, flexing the needle out of its normalalignment to seek out the vein, projecting the needle to pierce the veinthus held immobile, effecting canalization, retracting the needle fromthe vein and allowing the same to resume its normal un-flexed alignedposition, re-projecting the needle to release the grip on theperi-venous tissue, and, finally, extracting the same from thesubcutaneous tissue.

NICI-IQLAS P. PLECI-IAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,008,340 Salvati et al July 16,1935 2,103,174 Posada Dec. 21, 1937 2,234,961 Canada Mar. 18, 1941

